Overview
Fans of the show “Metalacolypse” will no doubt recognize the reference to the Rock and Roll Clown who loves cocaine. The character concept was inspired in part by the last portrait option for the human male-a psychotic looking guy with a blue mohawk and make-up. One of the coolest parts about Shadowrun is the level of character customization available through the karma system and in my 300+ hours of playing Dragonfall, I’ve been tinkering with the Fibonacci code of character creation as it relates to the pacing of the game and the availability of options in each section of gameplay from the beginning. The Standard Clown (Mage)
The Standard Clown (Starting Statistics and Advancement)
Human
Male
Body 4
Quickness 2, Dodge 2
Strength 3, Close Combat 3, Melee Weapon 2
Intelligence 3, Biotech 3
Willpower 4, Spellcasting 1, Chi Casting 3
Charisma 3, Conjuring 2
Ettiquitte: Security
Haste I, Killing Hands, Acid Bolt
Prologue (Hartfeld Manor until Meeting with Alice)
You get 5 karma from the Hartfeld Mansion run and can get an additional karma point with Willpower 4 in the Magic Shop for a total of 6 points to spend before Droggenkippe.
There are a few playable options from here to explore but what I do is counter-intuitive to most players. I spend the 6 karma to get Decking 3. Here’s the thing, Dr. Rockzo will not be buying a cyber-deck nor does he even have a datajack because we want him to have 6 essence at the end…but he can net 400 nuyen from Altug’s milk run to add to the starting 1250. Then I hit up the Zak Flash convo to get 50 nuyen and Flash. I sell the Flash, Killing Hands, Acid Bolt, Frag Grenade, and the weapon I got (pick the rifle-again counter-intuitive but it sells for the most money) and then the katana from the arms dealer.
Drugs are what fuel Dr. Rockzo’s decision making here because we will need 600 nuyen to buy all the Cram in Droggenkippe, 750 nuyen to buy all the Jolt during the Lodge Trial Run and still retain 1500 nuyen to purchase the Ballistic Cloth which will be our armor until Act 3…which means not advancing our primary skills and essentially burning 20 karma for maximum cash.
You get a total of 12 Karma points from the Drug Den if you milk all the conversations. I use 8 to get Intelligence 4 and Decking 4- and the remaining 4 went to raise Charisma to 4 and take the Socialite ettiquette.
Decking 4 will allow you to hack the terminal in the middle room for the paydata during the Lodge run but you will not be able to hack the terminal in the third room to open the doors and the hatch to the U-Bahn for best method of escape without datajack and cyberdeck. I do not give the Suit in the Lobby any of my precious Jolt and just use door codes: 301 = 53786 and 302 = 38297 to get the 200 nuyen on the table and the paydata and leave through the fire escape in 301. I run straight for the exit with Rockzo and the Dwarf and let James get his ass pounded by Knight Errant Security. I also do the Lodge run immediately after Meeting with Alice because the Ballistic Cloth is hella tight and makes the rest of Act 1 much easier.
The payment for the Lodge run essentially pays for the suit and when you get back to the kiez-you can afford to pay off Exkibel at a discount and get 2000 nuyen later for the Bio-ware mission. The lodge run gives 2 karma and the sewers give 6 if you pay or intimidate Ezkibel on behalf of the ghouls but you also get an additional karma for following up with Altug on the plotters from the data tap mission giving 9 karma to spend before Humanis to get Body 5 and Chi Casting 4. You should purchase Stride, Magic Resistance, and Armor I from Algernon after collecting the 500 from the sewer and the paydata from the Lodge run at your mission computer before heading towards Humanis. Take Dietrich so that you can get the extra karma for saving Alexander. Also you will fight the gangers on the road for an extra 3 karma. The mission gives 8 karma and delivering the data to the payphone gives an additional karma for a total of 13. At this point, you effectively replace Deitrich on the party because he sucks.
ACT 2 (After Humanis until Alice’s Payoff)
I spend 9 points to bring my Strength to 5 and the remaining 4 to raise Close Combat to 4. Then I do the Missing Shipment Mission with a peaceful solution and give the guy a beer for 5 karma which I use to raise Close Combat. When I return to the arms dealer he has new weapon selection and I buy Hand-forged Katana.
The Bio-ware recovery gives 3 karma if you download Phil’s show which I use to raise Melee Weapons to 3. Loose Ends and MKVI missions if done right will net the 26 karma needed to raise Strength and Close Combat to 7 to use the next level Katana. OTK and Bloodlines Missions will net 21 karma which I use to raise Body 8. Do the companion side missions for additional 6 karma spend 2 to raise Spellcasting to 2 and purchase Heal Wound I, 1 point in Ranged Weapons for the Grenade Launcher in APEX’s armory and the remaining 3 points to Conjuring 3 and buy Haste II.
ACT 3 (The Finale )
According to my calculations you get 20 karma (8 after Alice and 12 after Apex) and you can spend it to get Strength and Close Combat 8 to use the Aries Mono-filament Sword and Melee Weapons 4. I have found 11 doses of Cram in the game with 7 for sale by vendors and 5 doses of Jolt. Flash, Jazz, Kamikaze, and Nitro however can be purchased from Zak Flash everytime you re-enter the kiez from a mission making them the standby chems. Also Blitz has a free dose of Cram every mission and drug stims can be administered to another party member in range.
Final Statistics
Body 8
Quickness 2, Dodge 2
Strength 8, Close Combat 8, Melee Weapons 4
Intelligence 4, Biotech 3, Decking 4
Willpower 4, Spellcasting 2, Chi Casting 4
Charisma 4, Conjuring 3
Haste II, Stride, Magic Resistance, Armor I, Heal Wound I
Cyberware: Pain Editor, (0 essence), Experimental Adrenal Pump (0 Essence)